Verse For the Day

Isaiah 58:6-7 (NIV) "Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice...Is it not to share your food with the hungry...?"

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Finding Answers in God's Word

"Blessed be
the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of
sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the Lord, and on
his law, he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of
water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers." Psalm 1: 1-3 (NIV)

In this wonderful Psalm, which is
called a Wisdom Psalm, we are given instruction in how to be and how not to be.
We are not to ask for advice from foolish people, people who do not know God,
and people who have fallen away from God.Rather
we should delight in the law of the Lord, the law being God's Word, the Bible.
It is far better to search for answers there because it is there that the
principles for a good life, a happy life, are found.

For my younger audience, I want to say
this means, Don't hang around with people who are messing up their lives. If
you do, eventually you'll find yourself in a messed up situation of your own.
If you read a small portion of the Bible each day - maybe, for instance, read
the rest of this Psalm, you will find the right teaching, the right
guidelines.
When I was a new Christian, I used to just open the Bible, and let it fall
where it may. You would be surprised at the number of times I found just what I
needed. Now I don't recommend doing this and only this. Choose an entire book
of the Bible: Psalms, Proverbs, one of the gospels (i.e. Matthew, Mark,
Luke and John) and read the entire book, not in one sitting but a chapter
at a time. Then think of what you've read. Meditate on the deeper meaning and
how it applies to your life. When you've finished this book, move on to
another. Do this for a week, or a month, and check back with yourself. What
have you learned?

I still do this. Right now I'm doing
an individual Bible study on the book of the Psalms. I learn something new each
time even though I've read the same verses several times before. I believe God
wants us to stay in his world throughout our lives, reading his instruction day
by day by day.

Now, do I do this. No, not all the
time. Sometimes I fall away. And guess what. I find myself feeling as if I'm
slipping farther and farther away from God. I start to sin more frequently. I
become depressed. I have become separated from God. Only when I turn back to
the Bible do I begin to feel God's joy again.

I want to say a word about the
different translations of the Bible. There are many, and some are easier to
understand than others. Right now, the translation I'm reading on a daily basis
is the Common English Bible (CEB). The one I quoted from today is the NIV (New
International Version). When I first became a Christian I read The Living Bible
(TLB). And there are many more. Go online,
or better yet, go to a Christian bookstore where you can open the different
versions, and find one that feels right to you.

Feel free to leave comments and
share your opinion. And with that, I'll finish for today saying,
Have a blessed day, and may you find peace.

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About Me

I live in Illinois with my wonderful husband, Joe and my little dog Gracie. I have three children and six grandchildren who, after God, are the joy of my life. I have been writing fiction for more than three decades, but am currently more involved with poetry. I also spend a little time working on a second novel even though the first isn't published, at least not yet. But I have come to realize that being published is not the most important thing in life. Living for Christ in everything I do is my first priority.
I am a member of the Missions Ministry at my church and often volunteer for Feed My Starving Children since child hunger is at the top of my list of concerns for this world. For sometime now I have tried to avoid spending money foolishly because in the past when I've done so, I have felt guilty because I know that the money could go to help someone in need. Not that I can't enjoy life, but to live in a simpler style holds great appeal for me. May God bless all who visit my blog. Happy reading!